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Nonlinear dynamics of lava dome extrusion

Nature volume 402, pages 37–41 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

During the eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano, Montserrat (1995–99), and several other dome eruptions, shallow seismicity, short-lived explosive eruptions and ground deformation patterns indicating large overpressures (of several megapascals) in the uppermost few hundred metres of the volcanic conduit have been observed. These phenomena can be explained by the nonlinear effects of crystallization and gas loss by permeable flow, which are here incorporated into a numerical model of conduit flow and lava dome extrusion. Crystallization can introduce strong feedback mechanisms which greatly amplify the effect on extrusion rates of small changes of chamber pressure, conduit dimensions or magma viscosity. When timescales for magma ascent are comparable to timescales for crystallization, there can be multiple steady solutions for fixed conditions. Such nonlinear dynamics can cause large changes in dome extrusion rate and pulsatory patterns of dome growth.

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Figure 1: Schematic view of the volcanic system.
Figure 2: Calculated profiles of overpressure (a) and porosity (b) along a conduit.
Figure 3: Calculated and observed magma discharge rate versus dome height.
Figure 4: The relationship between extrusion rate and magma chamber pressure (a) and possible paths of unsteady eruption (b).

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Acknowledgements

We thank H. Huppert, H. Mader and A. Woods for comments, and J. Fink and K. Cashman for criticisms and suggestions. This work was supported by the NERC, the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, and an NERC fellowship (R.S.J.S.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Centre for Environmental and Geophysical Flows, University of Bristol, Bristol , BS8 1RJ, UK

    O. Melnik & R. S. J. Sparks

  2. Institute of Mechanics, Moscow State University, 1 Mitchurinski prosp, Moscow, 117192, Russia

    O. Melnik

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Correspondence to R. S. J. Sparks.

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Melnik, O., Sparks, R. Nonlinear dynamics of lava dome extrusion. Nature 402, 37–41 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/46950

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